- Ector County Independent School District
- Promises Made, Promises Kept
Tax Ratification Election (TRE) 2018
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On November 6, 2018, the voters of Ector County passed a Tax Ratification Election to support our local schools. Nearly 62% approved the tax increase to fund ECISD’s maintenance and operations. The tax rate increase meant an additional $18 million dollars in local and state funding for the 2018-19 school year. Thank you!
A TRE committee of our community members outlined four areas ECISD should prioritize for the additional money. This web page is devoted to keeping you up-to-date on how the priority projects are progressing.
Promises Made, Promises Kept
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🗹 Raises - $9,826,026
More than half of the money in year one was devoted to across-the-board employee raises. All employees on the Teacher Salary Schedule received a $500 Step plus an addition $2,000. This raised the salary for a starting teacher to $50,000.
All other employees received a 3.5% increase based on the midpoint of their own salary range.
The passage of the TRE put Ector County ISD in a strong financial position that allowed for additional raises in the 2019-20 school year. The starting teacher salary bumped up to $52,000 and veteran teachers saw increases ranging from $2,500-3,000. Employee not on the Teacher Salary Schedule received an increase of 4% of the midpoint of their own salary range.
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🗹 Bus replacements - $1.5 million
At the time of the election, about 1/3 of the school district’s fleet of buses was approaching or beyond its useful life (200,000 miles). With the funds from the successful TRE, we purchased 1 new activity bus (for extra-curricular trips), 8 new yellow buses and leased 30 new yellow buses. The new buses are equipped with seat belts and video cameras. All of the buses are in service now.
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☐ Roof deductibles - $6,250,000
Completed
All 11 locations damaged in 2016 (Alternative Education Center, Blackshear Elementary, Carver Early Education Center, Cavazos Elementary, Print Shop, Hays Elementary, Lamar Early Education Center, Maintenance/Custodial, Milam Elementary, New Tech Odessa, CTE Frost Building/Greenhouse.
In progress
6 projects (LBJ Elementary, Ireland Elementary, Gale Pond Alamo Elementary, Dowling Elementary, Sam Houston Elementary, and Barbara Chancellor House.) The other 10 projects are awaiting bids.
Hailstorms in 2016 and 2017 damaged roofs across the school district (27 locations). The insurance deductibles to pay for these repairs totaled more than $9 million, money that was not available in the district’s fund balance at the time. Additionally, if the repair work is not completed on time ECISD stood to lose $7.7 million in recoverable depreciation. The passage of the TRE gave the district the funds to schedule and complete the work in time to recoup that money. The projected completion date is the end of 2020.
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🗹 Controlled access, main entrances/fenced access where needed - $500,000
From NewsWest9: ECISD finishing controlled access door installations
Burnet, Hays, Reagan, Ross, and Sam Houston elementary schools got secured fencing for exterior wings of classrooms.
Completed
As of now, only two schools are left to be completed.